I guess if the RFL decided to bring back Great Britain it would just be England plus a couple.of Welshmen, like Jordan James?

It's an impossible question to answer really. It could happen next year. It could take 50 years.

It takes around 10 years to produce an elite athlete from scratch. But you'd need a pool of highly talented players for them all to challenge each other enough to develop further into a world class player. A bit chicken and egg.

I will say I'm fairly confident that, unless there is a SL side in Wales, Scotland and Ireland; there won't ever be a significant number of players that aren't English in a Lions team.

The other issue is that Welshmen (in particular) crossed codes back in the day and Gareth Thomas did the same more recently. Had he done so a few years earlier and GB Lions was around, would they have approached him? I'd suggest that they might.

It could still happen (it's just a lot less likely) but there are those George North NRL rumours I suppose...

Northern Ireland though has quite a bit to do with GB. Not to mention that in other sports e.g. cricket Irishmen have played for England.

Northern Ireland is in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is separate to Great Britain. England Cricket Club is under the England And Wales Cricket board so should be known as England and Wales.

Northern Ireland is in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is separate to Great Britain. England Cricket Club is under the England And Wales Cricket board so should be known as England and Wales.

The Ireland rugby league team is made up of players from the whole of the island of Ireland. As is the rugby union team.

Northern Ireland is in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is separate to Great Britain. England Cricket Club is under the England And Wales Cricket board so should be known as England and Wales.

I'm aware that GB and the UK aren't quite the same but this constitutional nicety doesn't translate into sport. The UK olympics team competes as GB but is still the UK's team.

The ECB's team is called England (and long may it stay that way - if the Welsh don't like it they can get their own team) but players from Scotland and Ireland have played for them.

No need to worry about the niceties - players from NI will play for a GB side with no complaints about the technicalities - players from the republic will do so as individuals a la Brian Carney. Adding "and Ireland" to the team name doesn't make it into a genuinely Irish side.

I'd like to see the team return in 2015 and every 4 years after that. By 2015 hopefully there would be a player or 2 in with a shout but even if there isn't it shouldn't matter. Having the team assemble every 4 years might help Wales, Ireland & Scotland keep players too.

Play one game against an Island nation, 1 against NZ (Baskerville shield) & then 3 against Australia (Ashes). Then have the Aussies tour 4 years later.

While we're on the subject, the 'semi-finals' of the S2/3 Respectme Saltire Schools Cup were played on Friday in Glasgow. All four teams played each other in 20 minutes games, with the top two in the table going through to the final.

S2/3 Respectme Saltire Schools Cup Semi-Finals

HILLPARK SECONDARY 44 V 0 KILSYTH ACADEMY

NORTH BERWICK 26 V 0 GREENWOOD ACADEMY

HILLPARK SECONDARY 4 V 34 GREENWOOD ACADEMY

NORTH BERWICK 52 V 0 KILSYTH ACADEMY

HILLPARK SECONDARY 0 V 26 NORTH BERWICK

GREENWOOD ACADEMY 24 V 10 KILSYTH ACADEMY

NORTH BERWICK and GREENWOOD will now meet in the final on the 20th June.

So, the interest is there, the work is being put in, but it is slow progress. What obviously doesn't help is the lack of pathways into the professional game. A Championship One side (or two) would help as young players heading south isn't ideal. Then again, travelling for games against mainly southern-based English and Welsh teams every other week would be a problem.

The other alternative would be to strengthen the domestic game - which means more stable and strong clubs like Easterhouse Panthers, Edinburgh Eagles, Aberdeen Warriors, etc. - and a constant raising of standards. Easterhouse has always been a jewel in crown of Scottish RL, being a dedicated rugby league club in an area that previously had no exposure to any form of rugby. For years they have been developing youngsters, yet it is only now that the strength of their first team reflects that. Victoria Knights have been running youth teams for a few years and have finally got around to putting an open age side out (sadly they are getting over 100 points put past them - 160 on Saturday). Also in Glasgow are the North Glasgow Bears, a club that is concentrating on youth teams at the moment.

The other alternative would be to strengthen the domestic game - which means more stable and strong clubs like Easterhouse Panthers, Edinburgh Eagles, Aberdeen Warriors, etc. - and a constant raising of standards. Easterhouse has always been a jewel in crown of Scottish RL, being a dedicated rugby league club in an area that previously had no exposure to any form of rugby. For years they have been developing youngsters, yet it is only now that the strength of their first team reflects that. Victoria Knights have been running youth teams for a few years and have finally got around to putting an open age side out (sadly they are getting over 100 points put past them - 160 on Saturday). Also in Glasgow are the North Glasgow Bears, a club that is concentrating on youth teams at the moment.

I have read a far bit about the development work going on in Scotland. No doubt money is an issue but it is great to see the word being spread about the game and people playing it at any level across the UK and Ireland.